As the world is becoming more mobile, the use of private transportation such as taxis, and car services has become ubiquitous. Further, given that in major cities both parents often work, these parents must rely on friends and families to shuttle their children to and from school, sporting events, and other afterschool activities. Thus, safety has become paramount for these parents using family, friends and private transportation.
Car services such as UBER and LYFT provide safety features to consumers including background checks, extensive screenings and ensuring adequate insurance for the vehicle. Further, Uber recommends safe pickup locations, provides driver photos and disguised phone numbers. However, public transportation companies do not provide safety information about the driving behavior of the driver or the condition of the vehicle. Thus, the consumer takes a chance in riding in the vehicle that could break down before arriving at the final destination due to lack of maintenance of the vehicle or the driver not understanding the diagnostic codes that are set in the vehicle's onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) system and simply ignores the illuminated check engine light.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a consumer with information regarding the driving behavior of the driver and the condition of the vehicle so that the consumer can make an informed decision on whether to engage that driver or car service.